Mistakes at work are inevitable and even useful. It’s a pity that bosses rarely pat us on the back for this way of gaining experience. How to admit to mistakes without hurting your own career?
It is forbidden
- Postpone the explanation for later.
Yes, you have an unpleasant conversation ahead of you. Yes, there is a great temptation to play for time, hoping that everything will somehow work itself out, and even better – that no one will know about your mistake. But remember: the real probability that a miss will not be noticed is close to zero. It is better to tell the manager about the problem yourself than to wait for colleagues to do it. - Prepare to be scolded.
“Initially, this is the position of a child who messes up, and now the parents will give him a furry,” explains Uliana Skornyakova, a professional psychologist and coach. – The business world is still the world of adults. Therefore, it is important to take not the childish position of the victim, but the position of an adult: mentally prepare for a constructive conversation with the leader and not tune in to swearing – otherwise you will get it. - Interrupt and argue.
Give your boss the right to be in a bad mood. Do not try to cool his ardor with the words “Don’t worry so much” or “Calm down, please . ” Such phrases only betray your fear and annoy the interlocutor even more. “When a person gets angry and makes accusations, it is important to understand that it is not you personally who is the cause of his emotion, but the situation that has formed, ” says Ulyana. — This will help you not to take anger to heart and not to take a back seat. Put yourself in the place of the leader: he has much more responsibility. Understand him, sympathies; you can say about your experiences like this: “I see that this makes you angry, and I would be angry too!” With such a phrase, you will show an interest in his psychological discomfort, and this can help relieve tension during a conversation. - Get involved in self-criticism.
If you suffer from a guilt complex, it will be easy to hang on even those missteps that you did not commit. Therefore, take responsibility only for your omissions. There is no need to sprinkle ashes on your head and endure all the reproaches of an angry leader: if you feel that a person does not control himself, it is better to postpone the conversation for later, honestly saying that you are not ready to continue the conversation at the moment. This way you maintain self-respect and professional authority in the eyes of your boss. - Shift responsibility to others.
Talk only about your mistakes. Everything that is outside your competence is an occasion for a separate conversation in the presence of all responsible persons.
Possible and necessary
- Timely notice and admit the mistake.
If you notice a problem and immediately go to the boss to discuss ways to solve it, this will tell you that you are a responsible and serious employee who really cares about the fate of the company. In addition, your pride will be much less damaged if the boss arranges a debriefing without witnesses. If you initiate the conversation yourself, most likely it will. - Get ready.
Not only to a difficult conversation, but also to a discussion of ways out of the situation. Prepare an explanation for why a particular slip occurred and demonstrate your intention to look into the problem. “Go talk with full armament: the situation from all sides, risks, decisions, arguments, ” advises Ulyana. Remember that this is an adult conversation, so the conversation must be conducted with full responsibility and honesty. Describe everything as it is, admit that you feel guilty about what happened, and offer solutions . ” - Ask for advice.
The manager knows better how to act correctly from a business point of view. Ask him what he thinks about the problem and what solution seems best to him. With such a request, you will show that you value his opinion, and you will quickly move on to the more pleasant part of the conversation – discussing the way out of the situation. - Learn the lesson.
Be sure to emphasize what experience you have gained in this situation, how it will be useful in the future, and how you will do everything to avoid such oversights. These should not be empty words. After talking with your boss, think again about the problem, its causes and consequences. You may need to seriously change your approach to work so that the mistake does not happen again. - Continue to fulfil your job responsibilities.
No need to try to “make amends” by loading yourself with additional workloads. Continue to perform your duties in the best possible way, striving for high performance and not making mistakes. Your diligence will certainly be appreciated, and mistakes will be remembered as the history of the company, and not your personal failures.
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